Doctors Cut Bill If Moms-to-be Quit Smoking

PHILADELPHIA — Two suburban Philadelphia obstetricians, hoping to improve the health of newborns, are offering $100 discounts to patients who stop smoking during pregnancy.

After years of nagging patients about the harmful effects of smoking on an unborn child, Dr. Irving Mann said he and Dr. Robert Haggerty ''finally figured we had to do something.''

The hope is that ''this will result in healthier babies,'' said Mann, an obstetrician in Delaware County. He said about half the 180 pregnant women he and Haggerty treated each year smoked, and about 20 percent smoked heavily.

Mann and Hagerty said they would deduct $100, or 9 percent, from the bill a of pregnant patient who stopped smoking.

A typical bill for prenatal care and delivery is $1,100, Mann said.

''We're just starting it now so I can't give you any real good answer on how it's going to work,'' said Mann, who has delivered babies for 15 years. ''We certainly hope it's going to work.''

Mann said he and Haggerty would ask patients to sign a pledge committing them not to smoke during pregnancy. The women would be on an honor system, he said.

''We're just going to ask 'How are you holding up on your pledge?' '' Mann said.

Mann said babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were usually smaller and weighed less than normal, and needed a full year to catch up to normal infants.

But most significant was that larger babies were more likely to thrive.

Mann said researchers theorized tha carbon dioxide absorbed by women who smoke prevented some oxygen from reaching the fetus. And many women who smoked to control weight may not eat enough to properly nourish the baby.

Mann said he realizes it is not easy to kick the habit, but suggested women substitute raw vegetables for cigarettes and enjoy the discount on their medical bill.